"Well, what's the verdict, Doctor?"
Diane Maven sat on the black leather couch of Dr Carmen Monroe's office in Hampstead and fixed her eyes on the psychologist. Dr Monroe slid her glasses off her nose and looked at her client with a smile.
"Well I think I can certainly help here, Diane."
Diane gave a slight smile back. She had come to Dr Monroe as a last resort. She sincerely hoped she could help. Smoothing the black skirt of her business suit against her thigh she sat back in anticipation of Dr Monroe's findings.
The problem was her son, Josh. For almost four years now the boy had struggled with depression. While many teenagers suffered from and dealt with the illness from time-to-time it had gripped Josh badly. His social life was non-existent, his grades had suffered badly. She had tried all kinds of therapy, but refused to expose her son to anti-depressants despite the advice of other doctors.
Then she had received a call from the enigmatic Dr Monroe. Describing herself as a 'behavioural therapist' Dr Monroe told Diane that her case had been referred to her by a colleague. They had talked on the telephone and Dr Monroe had assured her that she could be of assistance. Diane was skeptical. She had run a successful PR business for ten years now and sunk hundreds of pounds into therapy for her son, mostly with little effect. Diane clung to the belief now that he would just 'grow out of it' so she wasn't about to be impressed by the woman opposite her.
Carmen Monroe was around ten years older than Diane. She too had been a successful businesswoman, but for far different reasons. She had discovered an entirely new way of combating depression, especially in teenage boys. Josh was no different, she knew this from the introductory interview. It was time to see if Diane could be challenged.
"Diane, it's clear that Josh has been suffering with his illness for quite some time, during the interview he mentioned something about secondary school. Was that where it all started?"
Diane thought back. It was about the time he had changed schools that his regular dips into melancholy had begun. She had thought it was nervousness at starting in the new school and being around other kids from other schools, but he hadn't changed in years. He was now eighteen and she worried about him going to university.
The mother found herself nodding towards Dr Monroe. The therapist nodded and smiled reassuringly once more, the look emphasised by her high cheek bones.
"You see the thing is, Diane. With such long deep-rooted anxiety such as that Josh experiences, it usually has trigger, a focus that lies deep in his past."
"You mean, like his sub-conscious?"
"If you like, Diane, yes." Dr Monroe tapped her index finger on the pad in front of her. "Diane... what I have to say next isn't going to be easy to hear..."
Diane coughed. This so-called therapist wasn't about to blame her for all Josh's problems? "During the session yesterday, Diane, Josh looked at your legs about thirty times over the course of the hour."
The mother's face took on a look a shocked disbelief. Stuttering she asked Dr Monroe to explain herself.
"During the session, I often study the body language of the patient. Yes, obviously Josh's head was down a lot of the time, but the most surprising thing was that his eyes flicked down to your legs on average once every two minutes."
Diane thought back to what she had been wearing during the session. A charcoal grey business suit, complete with flesh coloured tights and her black two-inch pumps. Basically her work outfit. She then thought about Dr Monroe who had dressed in a white blouse with a knee-length red skirt. Was he looking at her too? Was he obsessed with his Mother?
"What are you saying, Doctor? That Josh is suffering from some, I don't know, Oedipus complex, because I didn't come to you to have some half-baked Freudian nonsense-"
Carmen held her hands up to try and defuse Diane's comments. "Look he looked at my legs too, we were both in skirts, remember, but the fact was he didn't differentiate between me and you, his thoughts - for all the monosyllabic answers he was giving about hating school and being bored with life - his thoughts were clearly somewhere else."
Diane thought about this for a moment. Stared down at her lap, her legs, her fingers nervously intertwined. "So, what does this mean? He's a leg man? Should I start wearing trousers around the house?"
"Quite the opposite."
"What?"
The doctor settled back into her leather chair and smiled at Diane. "You're his mother, you want to help him, don't you?"
"Of course."
"Then indulge him."
"Excuse me?"
"Young men develop sexually in all sorts of ways, however they can derive great pleasure from the unique ways that development takes place. Josh isn't joined to you at the hip, he hasn't got a 'Mummy's boy' condition, it's fair to say it that respect he is progressing as per other boys. However you might find that his behaviour can be improved by a little promise and reward."
"How- how would I start?"
Dr Monroe smiled she had Diane now warmed to her subject. "Take three basic chores spread out over the course of the week, let's say tidying his room, vacuuming the house and getting the weekly shopping. If he performs well he gets a good look at your legs. If he doesn't, well, you cover up. The point is, you have to take control and be in charge."
Diane breathed out slowly. "Okay, I see..."
"Diane, by modifying your behaviour you could change your Son's too. Do you want him to be happy?"
"Of course... Of course I do. It just seems so... unusual!"
"Trust me, Diane, it's a therapeutic technique I've seen time and again. Especially for behaviour modification in young men."
"You've encouraged other mothers to do this?"
"Obviously patient confidentiality doesn't allow me to tell you about any specific cases... but yes, I've had very, very positive results and seen happier mums and sons as a consequence. Trust me, Diane, once you begin to walk down this path, you won't be disappointed."
Diane nodded at the doctor and then stood up. "I'm doing this for my son."
The doctor stood up from her desk and walked around, extending her hand towards Diane. They shook. "Of course you are, Diane. Of course you are."
In Josh Maven's mind the conversation between his mother and his therapist had gone rather differently. He imagined his mother laid back on the couch of the therapists office, hair undone, her legs spread wide, skirt bunched up around her waist. Her jacket was wide open as her fingers played with and pinched her own nipples through the black satin fabric of her bra. Below her knelt Dr Monroe, who was busy lapping at his mother's exposed and shaven pussy. Dr Monroe's nails clawed into the nylon fabric of her lover's stockings as her tongued worked back and forth over his mum's clit.
He imagined her back arching under the assault of Dr Monroe's lips and tongue, she was begging to be made to cum and Dr Monroe kept her on the edge, grinning up at Diane from time to time until his mother reached down and with a tight grip on her hair forced the doctor to keep licking her until she began to cry out, the release so close, flowing through her body in pulsing triumph.
The sound of the front door closing brought Josh back to reality. He pushed back his floppy black fringe out of his eyes. His other hand still gripped his engorged cock. His mum, the focus of his masturbatory session had been the one to snap him out of it. He felt a little ashamed that reality had come crashing in on his fantasy. Ashamed and annoyed.
Stuffing his cock back into his jeans he zipped up the fly and wondered what news it would be this time. More exercise? A hobby perhaps? Bloody yoga? As unlikely a cure for depression as you were ever going to find that one. The teenager slowly loped towards his door and ventured downstairs to meet his mother.
He was pleased to see her. He always enjoyed looking at her in her business attire. There was something, well, commanding about that look that lead Josh to admire her. As he walked into the kitchen he noticed that she had immediately gone over to the stool at the breakfast bar. His eyes drifted to her legs. Black tights today, he realised, her two inch work shoes with the square heel.
She dropped her handbag on the counter and turned to face him. She looked a little nervous, Josh thought.
"Well, Mum, do we talk now or do I have to go back to see Dr Monroe?"
Diane motioned to Josh to sit on one of the stools and smiled. She popped herself on to the stool opposite and wiggled into position.
"No, you don't have to go back, Son. Not for a short while anyway... She's just suggested that it's not just you who needs to change their behaviour, but I do too."
Josh frowned but then nodded. "Okay..."
"Yes, things are going to be a little different around here..." And with that, Diane slid her left leg over her right and crossed them. Josh couldn't fail to notice the swish of the nylon of his mum's legs. His eyes shot down and he stared at his Mum's extended leg in front of him. His eyes then returned to his Mum who he noticed was watching him.
"D-different how?"
"Well, Dr Monroe thinks you need what she calls 'positive reinforcement'. If you do something good, get a chore completed, perform well in school, you'll get a reward."
"Like what?"
"That, um, well, you'll know what it is when you see it."
That sounded odd, he thought, but at least this was something different and besides he liked the idea of visiting Doctor Monroe again. The vision of Doctor Monroe's legs flashed into his mind.
